Nicholas J Scullion’s Story

Nicholas James Scullion founded Nicholas J. Scullion & Co. in 1979. The firm rebranded as Scullion LAW in 2010, and he remains a Senior Consultant with the firm. He is highly respected by clients and peers alike, and over the course of 40 years of criminal law experience, he has gained an excellent reputation for his degree of preparation and advocacy skills both in the Sheriff and High Courts all over Scotland. He has conducted thousands of cases, including trials, Fatal Accident Inquiries and actions in the Court of Session, over a long and distinguished career.

During his formative years, he was named student of the year at high school. As a mature student at the University of Glasgow, he was Assistant Secretary on the Board, a talented Scottish University Boxing Champion, and a member of the University Flying Squadron.

This determination led to him undertaking his traineeship at Glasgow Corporation and thereafter setting up as a sole practitioner. At that time, he worked in chambers dealing with conveyancing, divorce, estates, and reparation. It was the Miners’ strike that made him put on a gown and go to Hamilton Sheriff Court, where he fought for the rights of 200 miners. This set his firm apart, and his reputation grew from strength to strength.

He had a natural flair for court, and as he built up his family practice, he concentrated on court work. He is a highly regarded and charismatic figure whose reputation continues to precede him. He is well-liked by everyone, and we are putting him forward for a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021 as part of the Scottish Legal Awards. He is integral to the success of the firm, and many of our rising stars have taken great inspiration from him. Mr Scullion is one of life’s great presences, and his legal knowledge, skills, and confidence in court are second to none.

What stands out about him is his nuanced approach to cases, his ability to listen carefully, get to the essence of the matter, and his concern for the client by doing his very best for them. His philosophy is to say, “Leave that with me. Don’t worry about it. I’m here to look after you.” He explains everything very clearly to clients, even if the likely outcome does not look good. He also has a great sense of humour. All of these personable skills have enabled him to take on some of the most significant criminal cases in Scotland over the last 40 years, both as an acting and instructing Solicitor. He has worked alongside numerous Advocates and QC’s over the years in high-profile cases.

He has served generations of the same families, and people come back to ask for him again and again. He never lets anyone down. On top of that, he has always encouraged pupils from all the local schools to come into the office for work placements and is a keen supporter of the Interschool’s Debating Competition. Many of these local pupils have gone on to study law, having been inspired by Mr Scullion over the last 10 years. Mr Scullion has time for everyone and will give everyone a chance, whether it’s as a lawyer in court or a mentor to someone thinking about a legal career. No matter how busy he is, he will always take time to take young people on court visits and carefully explain how the court system works.

He is a true ambassador for criminal law in the heart of Scotland. Some recent examples of his work are included in the paragraphs below, and many clients are willing to speak to his professionalism and dedicated service.

Over the years, Mr Scullion has received lots of wonderful thank-you cards, poems, and even a painting from happy clients who say he ‘changed their lives’, and he is always very humbled by the feedback. We have taken some kind words out of a few cards that were in his office to share with you below:

Macaulay & family “We would like to thank you as a family for the great and professional job you did for our son Macaulay. From start to finish you were brilliant and also your colleague who was with you that day at court, made us all feel at ease. Once again, thank you so much for everything”.

Pat & Jim “Mr Scullion, I just wanted to say a massive thank you from the bottom of my heart for the advice you gave me for my son. It was very much appreciated by us both. Therefore we are very grateful and thanks to you everything is good”.

Michael “I cannot thank you enough for the guidance and support you offered to me. First class! My family and I want you to have this bottle of whisky as a small token of our thanks. I will be forever grateful”.

Media: Fatal accident enquiry – Mr Scullion was the principal solicitor in this difficult case.